The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-11-10

H nj Ahf Ohbbtthh VI the WhE NAOI0SOhA
| felt that his Southern birth and sympsthies
prevented his remaining in the army and he
resigned his commission, but he did not feel
\ sufficient interest in the rebellion 20 20 and
| fight for il, so he took up his residence in a
| little town near Philadelphia where he has
since lived. he was nearly so years old st the
| time Of bis death.
A writer in the Suaay Herald. Of this city,
recalls an anecdote that Gen. Mcclellan used 10
tell Of the visit Of the three officers TO the Car
| Of Russia. He said that although Capt. Morde-
cal was his Junior, AS ne was more conversSnt
with French, the court language Of Europe,
than the others. it was agreed that he should
do the talking at the audience with tho Car.
! During the interview Capt. Mordecai made a
slip and addressed Nicholas as Monsieur"
and in a side remark said to Mcclellan:
There! d--n the fellow, have called him
mister" Presently. in discussing Nicholas's
refusal, he called him " Monsieur" again, aud
again turning 10 Mcclellan said: "D-n the
! fellow; i have called him mister again"
1hereupon, said the Major, aSmile played over
| the face Of the Car, who quietly observed in
very good English: Suppose you talk Eng
lish, and we may get along better" McClel-
| Ian said that he supposed Capt Mordecai was
/ the only man who ever "cussed" the Gar Of
al the Russias 10 his face.
PENSION OFFICE NOTES.
The Commissioner Of Pensions is in receipt
| of a telegram from Special Examiner j. +.
Fitzpatrick, at Baltimore. Nd announcing the
conviction of William L. MoAett in the u. S.
Court at that place.
Moflett was an applicant for pension. To
secure the same he forged The names Of several
comrades and the iumts Of three justices of the
peace 10 alidayits filed in support OF the claim.
4 lIo was arrested March IS, 1857, and subse-
| quently indicted for the forgeries. On the
18th Of October the proceedings ended by the
| conviction Of MOnctt on every count.
DIR. John II. McQuOin. alias McConn, was, on
the % inst. coyicted at indianapolis of forgery
and fraud on the Pension Bureau, and remand
cd for sentence.
In 1863 while a practicing physician and
also acting rs claim agent at Paradise, Coles
Co., H., McQuon filed a claim for one Mary
Jones, alleged 10 be the mother Of John c.
Jones, who served a private in Co. c. 9th H.,
and died OF disease while ia the service at Pine
Ridge Ark. Early in 1870 n pension was grant
cd TO Mary Jones, and a check for the original
allowance, sac, was sent 10 the attorney, j. III.
MCQu0in, as WAS then customary. Mary Jones
only drew her pension for six months after its
allowance, and ut the end of three years her
name was dropped from the pension rolls in
accordance with law.
In 1853 a claim FOR restoration TO the pension
rolls Of Mary Jones. mother Of John c. Jones,
was tiled by John McConn, of Salem, Washing
ton CO., Ind. The declaration set forth that
Mary Jones had lost her pension certificate by
fire; was poor, and would become a charge on
the County ii her pension was not restored.
ID the interval between 1870 and 1883 an
other woman. Sarah Jones, flled a claim for
pension alleging that she was the mother of
the deceased soldier John c. Jones, aforesaid.
In june, lsSG the Commissioner Of Pensions
ordered an investigation by Special Examiner
j. Y, Jacobs, 10 ascertain the facts in tic case.
Mr. Jacobs first visited Paradise. H.. and
learned that no such person as Mary Jones ever
1 lived there; hut that DR. John hi. hcQuoin
was prosecuting pension and bounty claims at
said place up 10 $50, when be was arrested
for filing false claims a 2aiast the Guy, rnment
for bounty, and held for trial at Springfield,
! Ill. His iathcr-iu -law became his bondsman
for 81 800, which lac forfeited, leaving for parts
unknown.
The Special Examiner, after procuring
! good description OF McQuoin, went 10 Dyer,
Gibson Co., Tenn, the home of Sarah Jones.
She proved, upon incOntcstible evidence, 10 be
the mother OF John C. Jones, aud her title 10
| the pension on bis account. The Special Ex-
aminer next visited Salem, Ind. At the post
| Office he learned that DIR. John McConn had
! called for and received letters addressed 70
/ Mary Jones in Pension Bureau envelopes The
description OF said McCOnn Tailed exactly
with that Of john McQHoin, and satisfied that
] he was the same pcTs0a, the Special Examiner
! laid the information before the u. 5. Attorney
ct Indianapolis, and McQuoin was at once in
| diC;ed. lie kept Ia hiding and avoided arrest
! until July last, - months after his indict-
IBent, when he was captured at Hopedale. near
| Peoria, III.
! Mary Jones was myth, and the reason that
/ McQuOin did not continue TO draw the pension
/ was that he WAS a fugitive from justice.
The amount involved in the claim for resto-
ration is Sl,2sS.
McQuoin has since been sentenced TO four
! years in the penitentary.
SOME HIGH OFFICE
lt seems 10 be pretty well settled that the
! President will appoint Secretary Lamar TO the
vacancy in the Supreme Court caused by the
death Of Justice Moods. IL is thought how
ever, that this will not be done until after Con-
/ gTess meets. The greatest speculation is as TO
Sir. Lamar's successor at the head Of the In
terror Department. Undoubtedly the most fit
thug thing 20 do would he to promote Gen.
Black 10 that position. He is in the direct line
OF promotion, aud his brilliant management Of
the Pension Bureau gives all the assurance
needed of how well lac would do at the head Of
the great Department, which includes the PEN
! sion, Patent, Land and Indian Bureaus. lie
has shown himself possessed Of the brains,
executive ability and force OF character ncces-
sary for the place, and his two years experience
in the Pension Bureau has given him knowl-
| edge that would be Of the greatest use in the
higher position. III he could he promoted 10
Secretary Of the Interior aud Col. Mclean the
| First Deputy Commissioner of Pensions be pro-
NOTED 10 Commissioner, il would give the
greatest satisfaction TO the veterans of the cOun-
try as well as 10 vast numbers of other people,
who have watched the course of these two gen
tlemcn. There are rumors that the President
intends 10 transfer postmastcF-GeneralN Villas 10
the Interior Department, aud offer the Post
master Gcnerslship 10 Hon. Don NJ. Dickinson.
OF Michigan. This is not acceptable 10 great
many, who feel that IL Col. Villas is transferred
First Assistant Postmaster General Stevenson
ought TO be promoted 10 the vacancy thus made
LUCKY CLERK.
AZ a rule employment under the Govern.
ment units a man for success in any other
walk Of life. de speedily degenerates into a
rOutincst Of the narrOwest kind and when he
loses his place no is almost helpless 20 earn his
living AZ anything else. The principal cxcep-
tiOns 10 This role are among the employees OF
tie Patent Bureau, who il they are ambitious
and capable, acquire knowledge which is OF
the 90, Attest value 10 them as patent attorneys
and specialists 40 varions mechanical pursui ts
Every little while hear OF some Patent Exam
lEer rcsicBing an 81 500 or $1,000 desk 20 20
into some manu- acturing establishment, or
firm Of patent attorneys aud receive an income
ihrre or four tiiaes as large as the salary he
rcceived from the Government. The latest in.
stance ~ ttls kind was that of Charles j. Knt.
ner Chief Examiner Of the Electrical Division
who resigned a salary OF S2a00 a year, to 40
cept $4,000 a year from a Philadelphia firm.
THE PRESIDENT AT CHURCH.